The Portland daily press., 1887-03-17
"Are We Men, and VIII We Suffer

To the Editor Of Tie Press:

To the Editor Of the Press:
1t is written, "All are not men that wear
the human form" We believe, however,
that the race of man is not yet extinct. We
have faith that there are in the State of
Maine many such men as Shakespeare makes
his hero Hamlet describe. To such we would
appeal in behalf of the young girls of our
land. While some lives are hedged about by
all.the defences that parental love can build
up,Ithere are others who are fatherless and
motherless; still others even more unfortu-
nate, children of careless mothers who allow
them to go forth at tender age, trusting
wholly Ignorant of the pitfalls dug for them
by the willy ones of their own sex and of
the snares set for them by those of the oppo
site sex. Every father in our country to
whom his Maker has given fair share of
good sense, knows well the dangers which
would menace his fair young daughter, were
she bereft of parental protection and care.
How many mothers when they have felt
their feet dipping in the cold tide of Deaths
river, have thanked God that their children
have passed on before theml Yet this ought
| not to be.
Petitions were sent to our Legislature re-
| SaA0hhS viz NOuhdn suffrage uueSLlO0, anu
| the gentlemen surprised that so many did
not desire to vote, promptly decided not to
| increase our burden. But petitions were
| sent to that same honorable body, petitions
signed by mothers, many of whom would
| have been willing to trace their names in
blood to accomplish the desired result, ask
ing that the age of consent be raised to
! eighteen. Is the projections of, innocence
matter of slight importance? Are the cries
of mothers to be utterly disregarded? VIII
not the fatherlesS in this century wake to
the awful Importance of this subject? We
are willing men should monopolize the right
of suffrage. We ask, not for gubernatorial
chairs nor seats in the Legislature, but we do
ask, yea, we demand as Alright that we may
be heard on a subject so. momentous. Is a
child of thirteen to be helpless when some
villain whose vile deeds would rival those of
| a Tarquin of old Rome has markedsher for a
victim? When the mothers petitioned that
the ''age of consent" might be advanced to
eighteen years, they Knew why they made
that petition. Are the fathers who sit in the
honorable body already referred to, willing
that the time should be placed in the years
of childhood? In Spain or any other tropi-
cal country the age agreed upon might not
be Inappropriate; but in this cold northern
climate in ninety-nine cases out Of a hun
dred, it might almost as well be thirteen
months as thirteen years. Monstrous absur-
dity.
In Mondays paper we read a sentence like
this; I'm the Senate they are going to try to
pass the bill to protect the dog" Doubtless
this is necessary. We do not object to it.
We know of one that is not quite year old
and weighs only zone hundred and twenty
eight pounds. Without doubt if ne could
speak, he would express his appreciation.
We mothers ask you fathers who have the
power to choose whom We will to make our
laws, are your daughters to be of less con-
sideration than the dogs? Are they to have
no appeal? We ask again; Are We men, and
will We suffer this?"
MRS. HOWARD TAYLOR,
For the Mothers.